Geranium plant named ‘Fisrosimo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named ‘Fisrosimo’, as described and illustrated, and particularly characterized by the combined features of light pink flowers with large rose eyes; uniform dark-green foliage; compact plant habit; fairly early spring flowering response; and rich flowering throughout the summer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geraniumplant, botanically known as Pelargonium zonale, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name ‘Fisrosimo’.

‘Fisrosimo’ is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating geranium cultivars with single or semi-doubleflowers with distinct ‘eyes’ in combination with dark green foliage.

‘Fisrosimo’ was originated from a hybridization made by the inventor,Angelika Utecht, in a controlled breeding program in Galdar, GranCanaria, Spain, in 1993. The female parent was the variety ‘Icecrystal’(unpatented), having light violet, semi-double flowers with rose-red topurple eyes, relatively large, grass-green leaves without zonation, andmedium tall plant habit. The male parent of ‘Fisrosimo’ was a hybridseedling, designated no. 508/6, which was characterized by single whiteflowers with large pink eyes, dark green foliage without zonation, andrelatively compact habit. Hybrid seedling no. 508/6 was derived fromcrossings of a tetraploid line of ‘Stadt Bern’ (unpatented, commercialvariety with very dark-green foliage) with white-flowering seedlings(proprietary breeding lines/plant material).

‘Fisrosimo’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny ofthe stated cross by the inventor, Angelika Utecht, in 1994 in acontrolled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Fisrosimo’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in autumn1994 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain byAngelika Utecht. Horticultural examination of plants grown from thesecuttings, initiated in May 1995 in Hillscheid, Federal Republic ofGermany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that thecombination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Fisrosimo’ arefirmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘Fisrosimo’, which in combinationdistinguish this geranium as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Weakly semi-double, light pink flowers with distinct rose eyes;

2. Very large umbrella-shaped inflorescence;

3. Uniform, dark-green colored foliage without zonation;

4. Moderately compact, uniformly-shaped and well-branched plant habit;and

5. Early to medium flowering response.

‘Fisrosimo’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotpye of the new cultivar may vary significantlywith variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity anddaylength without any change in the genotype of the plant. The followingobservations, measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown inHillscheid, Germany, and in Langley, Bristish Columbia, Canada, undergreenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used incommercial practice.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to ‘Fisrosimo’ is the variety ‘Fisbravo’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,765). In comparison to ‘Fisbravo’, ‘Fisrosimo’ has asomewhat lighter and slightly more bluish main flower color, smaller,but more distinct rose eyes on its petals, larger and differently shapedumbels, and foliage without zonation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color photographic drawing shows typical flower andfoliage characteristics of ‘Fisrosimo’ with colors being as true aspossible will illustrations of this type.

DETAILED BONTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The measurements were taken in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, on May26, 1998, 10 weeks after planting of rooted cuttings into 15-cm pots.The plants had not been pinched. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart(R.H.S.). The color values were determined indoors from flowersdeveloped in a greenhouse in May 1998 in Hillscheid, Germany.

CLASSIFICATION

Botanical: A hybrid of the species Pelargonium zonale L'Hérit.

Commercial: Zonal geranium, cv. ‘Fisrosimo’.

INFLORESCENCE

Umbel:

Shape.—Flat and wide, umbrella-shaped.

Average diameter.—124 mm.

Average depth.—45 mm.

Peduncle length.—119 mm.

Peduncle texture.—Slightly velvety due to pubescence.

Peduncle color.—Bright green, RHS 143 A, slight infusion withanthocyanin may occur creating an olive-green, RHS 146 A, to slight rustcoloring, near RHS 173 A.

Pedicel length.—31 mm.

Pedicel color.—Green to light red at the middle part.

Number of flowers per umbel.—Approximately 25-30.

Lastingness of the individual umbel.—Wide with individual flowers invarious stages of development; persistence is above average for zonalvarieties, umbel lasting approximately 15 days in greenhouse conditionsin spring at a minimum temperature of approximately 18° C.

Corolla:

Average diameter.—48 mm.

Form.—Weakly semi-double, appearance like single-form.

Shape.—Flat, cup-shaped and nearly round.

Average number of petals.—5.6.

Number of petaloids.—0 or 1.

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).—Very lightpurple-pink with large rose eyes.

Color of upper petals.—RHS 73 D, which includes the margin.

Markings of upper petals.—RHS 57 C, with rose/purple-pink eye, and whitezone at the base.

Color of lower petals.—RHS 75 C, which includes the margin.

Markings of lower petals.—RHS 57 B, with rose/purple-pink eye, themarkings are somewhat smaller than those on the upper petals.

Color of lower surface of petals.—Approximately RHS 69 A.

Color of sepals.—Mainly light to medium green, RHS 143 B, slightlyreddish at the base.

Number of sepals.—5.

Sepal texture.—Slightly velvety due to pubescence.

Bud (immediately before unfolding of the petals):

Shape.—Narrow and elliptical.

Color (sepals).—Light green, RHS 143 C, small reddish spot at the base.

Color (petals).—Light violet-pink, approximately RHS 70 C, variable.

Length.—Approximately 20 mm.

Width.—Approximately 11 mm.

Reproductive organs:

Androecium.—7 fertile anthers, white filaments, yellow-orange pollen.

Gynoecium.—5-6-lobed stigma, light pink style and stigma, approximatelyRHS 65 A.

Fertility/seed set.—Natural seed set, without artificial pollination,may occur in late summer to autumn.

Spring flowering response period: In Hillscheid, Germany, in 1998,plants had on average 0.7 flowers opened 12 weeks after planting ofunrooted cuttings.

Outdoor flower production: Very floriferous, even though theinflorescence is large.

Blooming habit.—Continuous flowering from about May to mid-September;after which flowering may be poor depending on general conditions andlight intensity. There is no noticeable fragrance apart from theslightly aromatic scent that can be noticed when flowers are crushed.

Lastingness of the individual bloom.—Under rainy conditions lasts longerthan other varieties, the flowers last approximately 8 days ingreenhouse conditions in spring at a minimum temperature ofapproximately 18° C.

Durability: Fair shatter resistance, relatively good rain resistance.

PLANT

Foliage:

Form.—Kidney-shaped with only weak lobes, and with slightly open base.

Margin.—Bicrenated, wavy.

Texture.—Lower surface is slightly velvety due to pubescence and smoothapart from protruding veins; upper surface is smooth, slightly dull.

Size of leaf.—76 mm.

Color of upper surface.—Medium to dark green, approximately RHS 137 B.

Color of lower surface.—RHS 137 C.

Color of zonation.—Usually no zonation.

Tolerance of botrytis.—Average.

General appearance and form:

Internode length.—10 mm.

Branching pattern.—5.9 naturally-occurring branches.

Size of foliage.—13.5 cm high and 26.0 cm in diameter.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named‘Fisrosimo’, as described and illustrated.